Glossary

Business Key Glossary of Terms

Here at Business Key we believe in making things simple, that's why we've created this glossary. Website terms are different to everyday language, so here's a list of descriptions and definitions to keep things crystal clear.

A

About Page - the page on your website that tells visitors about you and your business. This page is not used for selling directly but for building trust.

Accreditations - courses, training and professioanl development that is recognised with a certificate of accreditation. These can be uploaded into your Business Page with an accompnying image.

Admin Access - this is a secure access system that allows you to access you information and make changes.

Algorithm - the set of rules that a computer program follows to solve problems or carry out instructions. Often, you'll hear this term in relation to search engine algorithms. These are the rules that determine how search engines rank and sort the information they find on the internet.

Animated Banner Promotion - this is a highly engaging visual image that promotes your business using animation.

Awards - awards are celebrations of business success and may be issued by the Chamber of Commerce or industry bodies.

B

Banner Image - the main image that is at the top of your website. Sometimes called a header image.

Banner Advert - a rectangular image that is positioned like a banner promoting your product or service.

Banner Slide Show - also called an image slider this is a display of multiple images shown in rotation.

Blog - a blog is an online articles that is stored on your website. New blog posts are published regularly, from weekly to monthly and are housed under the Blog tab on your menu. The purpose of a blog is to provide free, valuable and interesting information to your customers so that they benefit from maintaining an ongoing relationship with your business while they are not actively in a buying phase.

Brand - a name, term, image, symbol or set of values that is associated with a specific company, individual or organisation.

Broadband - a high-speed internet connection that does not use your telephone line to dial-up to the internet. This type of internet connection is continually accessible, unlike traditional dial-up services where you had to stop using your phone to use the internet. The term makes sense in context of dial-up internet, which was called narrowband, hence this is called broadband.

Business Page - your Business page is where all the information about your business lives, it's where you can upload your logo, customise your listing and add products and services, images, videos, accreditations and awards.

Button - a clickable call to action that asks your readers to do something, e.g. buy now, add to cart, read more. Buttons are eye-catching and are hyperlinked to other pages within your website or outside of your website.

Business Starter Website - a website that's perfect for businesses who are just starting out and want to look professional on line. Includes full email marketing system.

Business Booster Website - a professional website that's perfect for established businesses. Comes with a fully integrated email marketing system plus SEO and content writing options.

Business Accelerator Website - a custom website for business owners who want the ultimate web presence.

C

Category Listing - a category listing groups business listings under broad category headings to help people search easily. For example, an Accountant may list in the category of finance, tax, superannuation, bookkeeping, consulting and business services. The more categories you're listed in the better the chance customers can find you.

Chat Box - a chat box is a website function that allows you to interact with visitors on your website in real time.

Custom Domain - a custom domain means that your business name or uniquely identifying tag or slogan is featured as the domain name. For example, www.businesskey.com.au is a custom domain.

Company Listing - your company listing is the heart of your directory listing. It's the place where all the information about your business is housed and includes an online brochure.

Control Panel - the control panel is your hub to update your website and add, edit or delete information.

Contact Page - the contact page on your website allows visitors to find out your business contact details and includes a form which captures their information and connects directly to your email address.

Content - the text that visitors read on your website. A website is made up of a frame work of code and hundreds of words! It's the words that talk to your visitors, tell them what you do and why they need it. Content writing is offered as part of our premium website package.

Content Writing - a professional service where unique content is created and curated for your website

Content optimization - content optimisation is a professional service linked to SEO. This means that your content is written not only to engage your readers, but also to be search engine friendly. Keywords are used carefully in titles and phrases to attract better rankings for your site.

Copywriting - professional writing service that is focused on generating leads and sales for your business. The 'copy' is used to describe the words on the page that are designed to sell.

D

Database Driven - the Business Key portal is Database Driven which means the information is not stored on each page within our website, but stored in a database. This means every time you look at a new page within the Business Key website, the information is gathered according to your requirements. This enables us to provide powerful search facilities, cross referencing categories and listings. On a standard website the information is static on the page - it only exists on that page.

Design - the process a graphic designer engages in when creating a visually appealing website. It takes into consideration specific principals of design and uses colour, line and contrast amongst other things to make sure your website and logo looks great.

Digital Marketing - the process of attracting customers with the aim of making sales using online tools and platforms.

Directory - directories are websites that list and categorise services and products so that customers can find what they're looking for quickly and easily. Online directories have replaced traditional paper directories and are a leading way for customers and businesses to connect.

Directory Listing - Directories are a powerful way to order and simplify information so that it's easy to find when people search. A directory listing helps businesses share their information with customers. Traditionally directories were printed and kept as a point of reference in every home. Now the internet is replacing traditional print directories and businesses are listing their details on directories like Business Key.

Domain - a domain is your unique internet address and is usually where your website can be found.

Domain Endings - domains from around the world have different endings, it's a bit like a postcode for the internet! In Australia domains end in .com.au. It's becoming increasingly common to have domain name endings that tell you what the business does rather than the country they're from, for example .coach or .guru

Download - when you receive an external file and make a copy on your own device. This file may be a music, images, eBooks, software or movies. Files can be transferred on line, whether uploaded or downloaded using FTP which stands for File Transfer Protocol. FTP is a system for moving files between different online locations.

E

Email - email is a simple and low-cost way to communicate over the internet. It's the electronic version of traditional post.

Email Marketing - using emails in a purposeful way to achieve a business outcome. Email marketing is a tried and tested system which is why all of our websites come with a built-in email marketing system at no extra cost.

Enlarge - the enlarge function on your website allows users to click to enlarge text or images to enable them to see them in large print.

EPS File - an Encapsulated PostScript file (ESP) describes a type of image file that has multiple complex elements and can be transmitted across different operating systems.

F

Facebook - the world's most popular digital platform that allows users to connect socially online.

Facebook Business Page - a Facebook business page is a way to engage with your audience if they are on Facebook. Your Facebook business page is set-up using your personal profile, but then is accessed by potential customers independently from it.

Featured Business - the Business Key Directory categories are the way you organise the information about your business. When customers are regularlysearching in specific categories they are highlighted as popular and featured on the Home page.

Footer - a section at the bottom of the page that appears consistently on all pages. This typically contains information that is relevant to all pages, such as your site map, contact details and copyrights.

Free Directory Listing - a place where you can list your business details at no cost. A free directory listing gives you all the benefits of being found by search engines and directory users. It raises your online profile and costs you nothing!

G

Gallery - the place where you can display the images for your business. These might include photos of work you have completed, premises, staff or product images.

Gold Listing - this premium listing has many advantages, whilst being an affordable option for businesses. You'll be able to add your logo, add products and services, display 2 sliding images and list across 3 categories.

Google Analytics - a method of determining the effectiveness of your website. Google Analytics is a simple to use tool that shows you where visitors have come from, which pages are most often visited and how long readers stay on the page.

Google - one of the biggest search engines in the world, Google organises and lists content on the internet.

Google My Business - a local listing that can be activated with Google+ and verifies you have a local street address.

Google Map Listing - a local listing that can be activated with Google+. Once your address is verified you can log-in and get higher visibility with a Google Map Listing.

Google Plus - Google plus is an internet based social network that is owned and operated by Google.

H

Hexidecimal - hexadecimal is a numbering system sometimes referred to as hex or base 16. It uses 16 symbols to represent corresponding values and is most commonly used to represent colour in computer programming. You may have seen Hex Colour Codes when you are working online applying colour.

Home Page - home page refers to the main page on your website. This is like the front door to your site and needs to contain all the key information to ensure visitors can quickly and easily understand what you do and why they should use you.

Hosting - your website is hosted by another computer called a server. This powerful computer makes sure all the information about your business is stored safely. There are 3 things that a hosting server provides you with: an IP address (otherwise known as your domain name), physical space to store the information and bandwidth which controls the speed at which that information travels. The company that is your host will charge you a fee for providing this service.

HTML - HTML stands for Hyper Text Markup Language and is the language of the world wide web (WWW). Every web page is actually written in HTML and includes special tags which give display instructions to websites.

Hyperlink - a hyperlink is like a bridge in the online world. It links pages within your website to each other and links your website to other sites if you choose. Hyperlinks often display in different colours and can be embedded behind a button that asks you to take an action e.g. 'book here.'

I

IP Address - IP stands for Internet Protocol and your IP address refers to the unique set of numbers that identifies a particular computer. Your IP address can pinpoint the location of the device you are using and is fundamental to internet communication.

J

JPG File - a JPG or JPEG file is an image file in a specific format. These files are commonly used to share digital images as they have a compression algorithm that makes them smaller for file transfer.

K

Keyword - keywords are the single words that people type into search engines to find what they're looking for.

Key Phrase - key phrase is a group of words or a sentence that people type into search engines to find what they're looking for.

Keyword Density - keyword density refers to the number of times a specific keyword appears in a page of content. Although logic may imply that the more often the keyword appears the better, there are penalties for keyword stuffing.

Keyword Stuffing - when keywords are not used meaningfully in a written piece of content to add value for human readers but are deliberately stuffed to trick search engines into giving that page a higher ranking.

L

Landing Page - a landing page is crafted to give a clear message to your visitors and drive them to take an action. This page may be on your website or hosted by a separate provider. Landing pages are used to communicate a singular message, and do not replace a website but are additional to your website. Why would you use a landing page? Because you want to give readers information without distractions, so they can make a decision with a singular focus. This is a common requirement when sending visitors from an advert to a landing page to make a sale.

Language Translator - your website or directory listing is written in English, but this translator allows it to be translated into a language of the readers' choice.

Link/ Link Navigation - a connection on the internet that allows the user to jump between web pages using a simple link for navigation.

LinkedIn - a social platform designed for professionals who want to connect online.

LinkedIn Business Page - also known as LinkedIn Company page. This allows you to describe your business and attract more followers.

Live Chat - an online live support facility that allows customers to access help in making buying decisions while on your website.

Local Keyword - these are words that will help people find your business when they search for you online. They will use local search terms which means you need local keywords to be found. For example, a keyword like Plumber can be paired with a local suburb or town to make it a local keyword e.g. Plumber Albany.

Logo - your logo is the visual design that incorporates your company brand, name and tag line graphically.

M

Meta Tags - Meta tags are snippets of text that describe a page's content; the meta tags don't appear on the page itself, but only in the page's code. Search Engines list your website on top if keywords are optimised in meta tags.

Mobile Responsive - mobile responsive websites are designed to be viewed on mobile devices. This means from desktop to mobile the presentation is seamless, allowing a better user experience. Search engines like Google rank your site more favourably if it is mobile responsive.

N

NAP - NAP is shorthand for Name, Address and Phone number. These important details need to be consistent, without spelling errors or typos to ensure search engines read corresponding NAP from multiple platforms, such as social media, your website and your directory listings.

Navigation - navigation is the system that allows visitors to move between the pages of your website with a single click. Navigation systems usually include top menus, footer menus, internal page links and side bar menus. All are designed to keep the visitor moving freely through your site without getting lost.

O

Optimisation - when your website is optimised it is designed to attract the positive attention of search engines and rank well in search results for specific keywords.

P

PDF File - the Portable Document File (PDF) was invented by Adobe and is a standard way to reliably exchange documents online. PDF files have options to be password protected to avoid copying and editing.

Permalinks - this is short hand for permanent links and refers to the URLs for individual pages on your website. The URL should be a permanent link to your content.

Pinterest - Pinterest is a site where users can capture interesting images from around the web, save them to virtual 'pin boards' and go back and visit them later. As a business you can join Pinterest and set-up a business profile, which includes access to Pinterest analytics.

POP Email - POP email describes a method of accessing your emails from a remote server. POP stands for Post Office Protocol and describes a system where your email is downloaded onto your device from a remote server.

Premium Membership - premium memberships describe the paid membership options available to you on the Business Key Directory. There are 3 levels of premium memberships: Silver, Gold and Platinum.

Product - a product is a tangible thing that you sell. This physical product may be anything from food to baby clothes or office supplies. The alternative is a service - this is where your physical labour is for sale, for example a Gardener sells a service whereas a nursery sells plants so it's a product. There may be grey areas where you offer both (a nursery selling plants also offers landscaping services), if this applies to your business, list in both categories.

Q

R

Ranking - describes the order in which search engines like Google list search results for a topic. If you are ranked on page 1 of Google for a specific search term or phrase, this is more likely to generate in click throughs to your website as readers rarely look beyond page 1 of results. Within your website, each page is given a ranking by Google, from 1-10. These pages may then be displayed in search results depending on how relevant the content is in relation to the search term.

RGB - is a way of representing colour to ensure consistency when colours are displayed on a computer. RGB stands for Red, Green, Blue and this colour model allows any colour on the spectrum to be recreated.

Responsive Website Design - responsive websites are designed to be viewed on different devices. This means from desktop to mobile the presentation is seamless, allowing a better user experience. Search engines like Google rank your site more favourably if it is mobile responsive.

S

Script - in the context of your website, the script refers to the code that creates a specific function on your website. Scripts are programming languages and they can be used in an infinite number of ways. Scripts are hidden from view for the general website visitor but used by the website program.

Send to Mobile - a handy feature that means your customers can SMS your contact details to their mobile quickly and easily.

Service Listing - if your business is a service-based business then you exchange your expertise, labour or skill for a fee. Service professionals are qualified individuals who offer services that require set qualifications such as accountants, lawyers and medical practitioners. In contrast a product-based business sells a physical thing that can be purchased. There are a few exceptions, where services and products meet, for example a Gardener sells a service whereas a nursery sells plants (a product). If a nursery selling plants also offers landscaping services, then they'll be encouraged to list in both product and service categories.

Search Function - the ability to be able to search within the text of your website.

Search Engine - a search engine is a computer-generated program that 'reads' through all the content on the internet. It categorises and organises the information by relevance, authority and popularity. The most dominant search engine is Google, followed by Bing.

Search Engine Friendly - to be search engine friendly means that search engines can easily read and catalogue the information you publish online, especially on your website. To be search engine friendly means you are not breaking any of their rules and your content is optimised for search.

Search Engine Listing - a search engine listing is displayed when someone has created a search query or 'Googled' something. This generates a list of relevant information for the user.

Search Engine Ranking - there is a subtle difference between a search engine listing and search engine ranking - on a listing your website could appear anywhere, when you're talking about a search engine ranking your website will be ranked from most relevant (Number 1) to least relevant (number unknown).

Search Result - a search result is the display list that is produced after someone has entered a search query. Your aim is for your website to appear as high up the list of search results for that particular search term.

SEO - SEO as an acronym which stands for Search Engine Optimisation. SEO specialists work to ensure a website is found and ranked highly by search engines. This can involve on-page keyword optimisation, increasing site authority with healthy back links and coding optimisation using alt-tags and header tags amongst other things.

Social Media - social media describes the broad range of social platforms from Facebook to Twitter, Snapchat, LinkedIn, Pinterest, Google+ and Instagram. These platforms exist for social purposes, and have been adopted by business to engage with their audience in a conversation and fun way.

T

Testimonials - testimonials are the reviews and comments your customers and clients leave after they've worked with you. They serve the purpose of building trust and giving recommendations to work with you.

Traffic - in the context of your website traffic refers to the number of people who have visited your site during a specific period e.g. 24 hours. You may hear this term used in relations to search engine traffic and this means the number of visitors that arrived on your website from a search engines listing.

Twitter - a social connection and networking platform, Twitter is considered a micro blogging site where users post Tweets.

U

Upload - when this term is used in the context of the web, it means to send data of information from one computer to another device. Practically this means sending files from your personal computer to your website, social media or another computer. Files are transferred on line, (whether uploaded or downloaded), using FTP which stands for File Transfer Protocol. FTP is a system for moving files between different online locations.

URL - short for Uniform Resource Locator a URL is the address for each page of content found online. Every page of your website has a unique URL.

V

W

Website - website is a term that refers to a collection of online pages. A website has a singular focus and may have numerous pages within its structure.

WWW - the World Wide Web otherwise known as the internet.

X

XML - this acronym stands for Extensible Markup Language and describes the language used to make documents readable for humans and machines.

Y

YouTube - YouTube enables businesses to share their knowledge through video. It's a popular medium to connect with new customers and many You Tube enthusiasts search the channel to find new, interesting or funny content every day.